Life zones and habitat: Foothills to montane; moist meadows, forests, along streams.
Plant: Perennial with numerous slender creeping to erect stems, 5 to 12 inches long. Leaves:Alternate compound leaves, 2 to 4 inches long, each with 11 to 19 oblong leaflets 3/8 to 3/4-inch long.
Inflorescence:Raceme
up to 1 inch across and long of 7 to 20 erect pea-like flowers on short peduncle; each flower less than 3/4-inch long with blue to purple and white petals; calyx (sepals) beneath with grey or black hairs.
References: Descr. adapted from www.montanaplantlife.org

Life zones and habitat: Montane to alpine; often in moist areas (woodlands, meadows, around streams and lakes) and on tundra, cold, dry, exposed areas.
Plant: Mat-forming perennial with weak, slender, hairy stems up to 12 inches long.
Leaves: Basal leaves 2 to 8 inches long, pinnately-dissected into 3/8-inch long oval, hairy leaflets. Inflorescence: Small racemes on long peduncles 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long, with several nodding pea-like flowers with white to purplish petals; each blossom about 1/2-inch long; united sepals beneath with small black hairs. References: Descr. adapted from "Guide to Colorado Wildflowers" by G.K. Guennel, "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield and SEINet.

Life zones and habitat: Plains and foothills; Dry, gravelly areas, shrublands.
Plant: Short perennial up to 6 inches tall; inflorence supported on peduncles rather than stems.
Leaves:Pinnately-divided compound leaves with many (10 or more) obovate leaflets 1/4 to 3/4-inch long, densely covered with silver hairs.
Inflorescence: Small racemes
of purple pea-like flowers in a hairy cluster on peduncles 1 to 6 inches long.References: Descr. adapted from www.easterncoloradowildflowers.com and Montana Field Guides